International journal of stroke : official journal of the International Stroke Society
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On 11 March 2020, World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 infection a pandemic. The risk of ischemic stroke may be higher in patients with COVID-19 infection similar to those with other respiratory tract infections. We present a comprehensive set of practice implications in a single document for clinicians caring for adult patients with acute ischemic stroke with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infection. ⋯ These practice implications with consensus based on the currently available evidence aim to guide clinicians caring for adult patients with acute ischemic stroke who are suspected of, or confirmed, with COVID-19 infection. Under certain circumstances, however, only limited evidence is available to support these practice implications, suggesting an urgent need for establishing procedures for the management of stroke patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Determining the optimal dose of tenecteplase before endovascular therapy for ischemic stroke (EXTEND-IA TNK Part 2): A multicenter, randomized, controlled study.
Intravenous thrombolysis with tenecteplase is more effective than alteplase in achieving substantial reperfusion at initial angiographic assessment and improves functional outcome. However, the optimal dose of tenecteplase remains uncertain. We hypothesized that 0.40 mg/kg tenecteplase is superior to 0.25 mg/kg tenecteplase in achieving reperfusion at initial angiogram, when administered within 4.5 h of ischemic stroke onset, in patients planned to undergo endovascular therapy. ⋯ The primary outcome measure is reperfusion on the initial catheter angiogram, assessed as modified Treatment In Cerebral Infarction (mTICI) 2b/3, or the absence of retrievable intracranial thrombus. Secondary outcomes include mRS at day 90 and early neurological improvement (reduction in National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) by ≥8 points or reaching 0-1) at day 3. Safety outcomes are death and symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03340493.